Court awards 5 lashes, 3-year imprisonment in rape case

PESHAWAR, June 07 2005: A local court here on June 6 awarded five lashes along with three years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 20, 000 to an accused for molesting a minor girl.

The accused, Karamat Masih s/o Pertun Masih, resident of Bannu and now living in Lalkurti, Peshawar Cantt area, was booked by the West Cantt police under sections 10 and 18 of Zina (Enforcement of Hudood) Ordinance, 1979.

The victim girl, Tania, along with his father reported to the local police that she was playing outside her home when the accused took her forcibly to a deserted house in the nearby locality while she was crying. The local people listening to her cries overpowered the accused on the spot and handed over him to police. The police lodged FIR on the complaint of the victim on Jan 1, 2004.

The police, after completing the investigations, submitted the challan before the court for trial. The trial court recorded statements of 10 witnesses, which fully supported the prosecution.

The accused also recorded his statement under section 342 CrPC and denied the charges.

The court headed by Additional Sessions Judge Liaqat Ali Khan after completing the trial announced five lashes along with three years’ rigorous imprisonment as it observed that there was no contradiction in the statements of the witnesses. The court also fined him Rs 20,000 failing which the accused would have to undergo three months’ simple imprisonment.

However, the judgment observed: “The sentence of whipping be executed subject to the provision of Section 391(B) CrPC.” The court also extended the benefit of Section 382(B) CrPC to the accused.
Source: The News
Date:6/7/2005